APC Congresses Witness Large Turnout, Despite Hitches 06 Apr 2014 Font Size: a / A APC logo Our Correspondents There was a high turnout of members at the All Progressives Congress ward congresses held across the country yesterday, despite complaints about marginalisation and logistical problems in some states. The congresses were conducted to elect officers of the party at the ward level. But late arrival of electoral materials, absence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and difficulty in locating the venues of the congresses characterised the exercise in many areas. However, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun hailed the APC congresses as generally peaceful. He commended members of the executive committees that carried out the exercise in the various states. In Ogun State, at the Sacred Heart Catholic College, Oke-Ilewo, Ward 11, Abeokuta South Local Government Area, despite a massive turnout of people for the congress, INEC officials were not on hand to supervise the exercise as required by the Electoral Act. At Ita-Agemo, Ward 12, huge numbers of APC members gathered in time for the exercise and INEC officials and security agents were present, but materials for the process arrived late. The story was the same at Orile-Ilugun, Ward 5, Abeokuta. The women leader at Odeda Ward 1, Mrs. Mayowa Adeosun, who spoke with journalists, said there was absence of INEC officials and no electoral forms, despite a large turnout of members. But the situation appeared to be different at Gateway Secondary School, Ita-Iyalode, Ward 11, Abeokuta North Local Government Are, as accreditation of 1, 820 registered members was completed by 12 noon and voting commenced soon after. In Lagos State, aggrieved APC members from Ikeja, Ojodu, Ifako Ijaiye, Agege, Onigbongbo and other areas demanded fresh congresses in their areas following alleged anomalies in the exercise. Several unhappy members came to the APC state secretariat from different parts of the state in buses, carrying placards, chanting confrontational songs, and alleging that Saturday’s congress of the party lacked credibility. But in Kano State, the congresses were conducted through a consensus arrangement, in apparent attempt to reduce disagreements. The state party caretaker committee chairman, Mr. Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, told newsmen: “We have decided that the congress be conducted through consensus, but where it is not possible people are free to do it through open ballot system.” However, in some areas of Giginyu, Kurna, Fagge and Tarauni visited by THISDAY, there were no signs of any election. In Kwara State, the congresses were peaceful and witnessed huge turnout in the193 wards of the state. A visit to some of the wards in Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Asa, and Moro local government councils showed there was a massive turnout of APC members for the exercise. Reports from Offa, Isin, Irepodun, Oke- Ero, and Ekiti local government councils also revealed that members of APC at the various wards came out in large numbers to participate in the congresses, which took place peacefully across the state. The story was the same in Patigi, Ifelodun, Edu, and Baruten local government councils. Sources within the party said yesterday that the ward executives had been harmonised before the ward congresses to avoid friction. But in Adamawa State, the congresses were postponed due to late arrival of voting materials and officials for the exercise. Chairman of Adamawa State Congress Committee of APC, Senator Titus Olapitan, who announced the postponement at the state secretariat of the party in Yola yesterday, said the congresses may hold next Wednesday. The congresses in Sokoto State, like Kano, were also based on a consensus arrangement in the 23 local government areas of the state. This was as the state governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, disclosed that more governors would soon join APC. The congresses went smoothly in Enugu State. Speaking shortly after the exercise in his Eke ward in Udi local government, the interim zonal publicity secretary of APC in the Southeast, Osita Okechukwu, urged Ndigbo to embrace the party and make it a party of their choice.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 06:25:56 +0000
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